HIt by the FLU!!!

I have been hit by the flu. Sketching was impossible just like everything else was. WOW... what a  heck of a time. I can't remember the last time I caught the flu. I forgot just how "wonderful" it is ..... NOT. Anyway, I am back up and not running, but puttering along. I have uploaded an old sketch of my children's (and mine) favorite childhood toys. We all could use a good stuffed animal when we are sick in bed so I thought I would share my family's favorites with you. I hope you enjoy the sketch while I cuddle up with the actual toys until I get 100% better and back to the sketch board. 

My Shoes

I saw these shoes and I had to buy them which is VERY strange because if you know me, I don't ever buy shoes or clothes. They just don't matter to me. These shoes looked almost antique though and are a combination of a man and a woman's shoe giving it a very unique look. I have only started this sketch and will be working on it further. I will upload the drawing as it transforms. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I do. I am also going to use this drawing as my edm challenge for last week. 

I have so many sketches floating through my brain - a few of which are to be in the two of the three books I am working on. I can't wait to get them on paper and upload to show you! I think it is just amazing when I can pull a character out of my head and bring it to life on paper. This process always amazes me because once a picture is drawn of someone and they are shown to the world they begin to take on their own life. 

Tonight.... I Sketch!

Hello. I know , I know. The last post was the 10th but you need to believe me I have been working. ? There will be times when there is no art to put up and that is only because I am creating logos and other art for clients. Unless they let me know I can post it in my portfolio, I really shouldn't use the art I sold to them. Its an ethical thing you know? Anyway, that is my excuse for my 7 day disappearance but tonight I am itching to get some of my own sketching done. I am heading to the couch right now with my sketchbook and will be sure to post before I go to bed... probably around 2am. 

Again, thanks for keeping up with my work. It really makes the difference and most times is just the edge I need to keep me going. 

Erin

The 'not so great' sketchcrawl

Okay, here is my one little result from a day of sketching. I had a great plan of going to all the great historical places in RI and sketch a bunch of them but I got up too late and went too quickly  thinking the snow was going to come. Little did I know It was not going to hit until tonight. Oh well. Live and learn... next sketch crawl will be better planned.

This drawing is of a sign with a bicycle hung on it. I came across it on Benefit Street in Providence when I was looking for Edgar Allen Poe's old hangout. I never did locate the house where he hung out (should've looked it up before I got there) so I figured I would sketch whatever caught my eye... and here it is. 

I may not have had the successful sketch crawl I imagined but I did keep my 2009 promise - I drew today! 

My EDM Weekly Challenge Drawing

Hmmm.... this one was interesting. As you know I joined the 'Every Day Matters' group. In this group the leader assigns an object per week out of your 'everyday' life to draw. This week it was a soda can. I have to say, if it wasn't for this challenge, I would NEVER have continued this drawing once I started it. It looked easy enough but when it came down to it, shiny metallic is not the easiest thing to draw with a regular pencil. Eventually my eyes adjusted to the shadowing and I managed to find the depth of the can. Not one of my best but I am better because of it! 

My telephone

I like my telephone best when its quiet. It looks so pretty just sitting there all old fashioned and stuff. I always wanted to draw it and would 'some day' so here it is some day... and if it wasn't for this sketchblog challenge I most likely would have never drawn my favorite telephone. I have only just started it but I do intend to finish it and will post it in stages. I did join the EDM group on yahoo and need to complete my weekly challenge there. Each week they post something you need to draw from every day life hence the group name 'every day matters' This week it is a soda can. I managed to get one from a friend today because I personally don't like to drink the poison at my house so I never buy it but when I do occasionally drink it, its ALWAYS a coke. So that is the can I chose to draw. I will be posting it tomorrow. 

Saturday I am joining the worldwide sketch crawl I mentioned in my last post so there will be plenty of sketches posted Saturday night!

Rainy and Slushy day --- excellent for sketching.

To me, there is nothing better that a cold rainy/slushy day for sketching. So today will be very productive for me. As promised though, I am going to post some sketches from the last few days. By tonight, I can post my rainy day sketch. 

Although feet are not beautiful by any means, I had nothing else to draw while laying in bed on January 3rd. To make the subject of feet more interesting, I drew the shapes of shadows instead of adding actual shading. I began to color around the feet with pencil but never finished. 

My very favorite sketching pencil is a mechanical .05 lead. I like the fine line it gives me to add detail and oh yes, I never have to sharpen it. This makes it a great pencil on the go as long as you have a full stack of replacement lead in your bag.

I am excited to say that I will be taking my sketchbook out ALL day Saturday. January 10th is the 1st official sketch crawl of 2009. I learned about it through another artist online. If you would like to sign up just go to www.sketchcrawl.com. It is a place online where artists from all over the world can sign up to sketch where they live on the same day! So artists all over the world will be out sketching their surroundings this Saturday. When they get home, they upload their sketches and share them. What a wonderful way to visit other parts of the world!!!! I think it is just amazing and I give full kudos to the inventor of this activity. 

To sketch a thought...

To sketch a thought is a wonderful feeling! It isn't the finished product that gives me this wonderful feeling but the process of sketching itself. You see, while sketching, thoughts just flow. While drawing, most times I figure out how to deal with a problem or learn more about how I am feeling without even trying. The lines on the page just form the answers in front of my eyes. For example, I began this drawing with just a line and no thought as to where it would take me. By the end of this sketching session, I have to admit, the character looked EXACTLY how I was feeling at the time! Yes, I had a very stressful day with my 5 little ones. Anyway, here is my first sketch appearance in my 'sketch' blog. It's not the best work I've ever done, but it IS a funny piece and helps me make my point of sketching a thought or a feeling. I hope to be able to bring you daily sketches because I have taken on a challenge to sketch daily. It is just something I have wanted to do but never seemed to have time for so my goal in 2009 is to sketch daily. I realize it is already January 5th - I have sketched daily for 3 days now and will be uploading those 3 drawings soon. I want to scan them instead of photographing because it makes for better viewing quality and based on the sketches I have been producing I am going to need all the help I can get. For those of you who don't know me, I am a children's author and illustrator. I created a children's picture book series you can view here - www.charlieshead.com. Enough blogging from me though - I have to get to the sketchbook and scanner!!!